Norwich Puppet Theatre, in Whitefriars, was burgled between about 9.30pm on Monday and 9am today. An Apple MacBook Pro laptop and about £50 in petty cash were stolen from the theatre’s office, and bottles of gin, vodka and whisky were taken from the bar store. The burglar or burglars, who broke in via a window in the auditorium, also tried to break into the safe but were unsuccessful.

General manager Ian Woods said: “We are devastated and cannot understand why somebody would want to target a small theatre, a children’s theatre and a family theatre.”

Norfolk police are investigating the burglary. Anyone with information should call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.